PESHAWAR: A parliamentary meeting of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmakers from Peshawar on Wednesday approved the inclusion of a new general hospital for the region in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Annual Development Programme 2026-27.

The project will be executed on a fast track basis to meet the growing healthcare requirements of the provincial capital, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office.

Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who chaired the meeting at KP House in Islamabad, ordered the inclusion of the electric bus project on the Peshawar Ring Road in the forthcoming ADP and approved the feasibility study for a second ring road as a strategic initiative to address the city’s increasing traffic pressure.

Mr Afridi asked treasury lawmakers from Peshawar region to submit proposals for constituency-based development schemes to the secretariat by March 15 for consideration in the ADP 2026-27.

He emphasised that project proposals should be guided primarily by people’s needs and demonstrable development impact.

“The forthcoming ADP will be structured in line with the province’s overall development requirements and prevailing ground realities,” he said.

The chief minister said that timely and quality completion of the ongoing development schemes would remain a central priority in order to ensure early realisation of development benefits for people.

Emphasising a citizen-centred approach, he said that the new development programme would be formulated on realistic parameters, aligned with broader public needs and aimed at promoting balanced and sustainable development across the province.

The participants, who also included senators and members of the national and KP assemblies from Peshawar, reviewed development priorities for the region in the context of the ADP 2026-27 and held detailed consultations on proposed interventions and priority sectors.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026